An art installation “Albania is Biodiversity” was unveiled at Tirana’s main Skanderbeg Square on Monday evening, marking the start of a three-week campaign that aims to raise awareness of the fantastic species and ecosystems that live in the country.

The art installation is a redesigned image of the mosaic on the façade of the National History Museum. Seeing art is a powerful medium for expression and interpretation, the artwork is designed to incite curiosity and provoke thought on the precious biodiversity of the country.

The installation will be displayed at Tirana’s centre until October. The three-week campaign will feature educative events for kids and youth, as well as various public events, including films screening, artistic performances etc.

“Albania, often seen as home to Europe’s biodiversity, transcends its modest size thanks to the variety of life it supports. Although with an area less than 29,000 square kilometres, Albania is home to an unique biodiversity of over 3200 species of plants, 800 types of fungi, 300 species of fish, 350 categories of birds, 70 categories of mammals and a number of other species that remain to be discovered,” the head of Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA),  Aleksandër Trajçe said at the ceremony of unveiling the art installation.

PPNEA is a non-governmental environmental organization that operates nationwide, known to be the first environmental organization in Albania.

Albania is Biodiversity campaign is a partnership between PPNEA and Heinrich Böll Stiftung Tirana, kindly supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Albania, European Union in Albania, German Embassy in Tirana, French Embassy, AICS Tirana and Vodafone Albania.

Goekhan Tuncer, the head of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Tirana office, focused on Albania’s importance as one of the last countries in the continent with a good part of it still remaining intact and free of an irreversible impact on the environment.

The EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca noted that the EU integration process offers the best incentives to ensure stronger protection of the country’s natural resources.

“Albania should accelerate all efforts to align with the EU’s environmental norms and standards. I am very much encouraged by the fact that there is a growing public debate and interest in Albania on the issue of environment. All joint efforts will only bear fruit if Albanian citizens are convinced of the vital importance of taking action,” Ambassador Luigi Soreca said.